Ranger 45 Update
Well when it stopped raining I got a chance to shoot the ranger again this time at different fill levels two shots at a time. I was using a 375 grn bullet cast 40:1 sized .452 and a few sized at .453 or so.
In short my gun is valve locking around 4450 psi and thes 40:1 bullets shot worse than the first WW bullets from the same mould and also left slivers of lead in the barrel. Not bad but the WW showed no indication of leading and shot better. I also didn’t see any did difference in velocity except 10 or so fps slower but the 40:1 bullets were 5 grns heavier than the WW.
Now I’ve slugged the barrel and found that the groove diameter is 0.4533″ or abouts, the throat diameter is 0.4538 or so and the distance from the bolt face closed to the rifling is 1″. The bullet I have been using has been undersized, loose in the throat and jumping over 1/2″. I hope the hell this is most of the problem as I’ve got my sizing die dropping out 40:1 bullets at 0.4537 and they are just a smooth perfect fit into the throat. They’ll have to jump but hopefully the throat is straight with the bore.
I have bedded the rifle stock now and hopefully got all my little ducks in line. I’m waiting on a new mould from accurate moulds with this same bullet only larger and with two new bullets all should be dropping around 0.454″.
Can’t wait to shoot again,
JD
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Very Interesting!!
Well….I just received another Accurate mould, this time dropping larger bullets with one cavity of a bullet i already have ( that was to small) and with two new bullets. The new bullets are an airgun design dropping at 380 grns and one nose riding design I had the nose section cut at 0.447″. The nose riding bullet is also 380 grs +_ with diff alloys.
I cast several with 40:1 and sized to 0.453+ lubed with a little Tetra in a plastic bag and to my bench I went. I shot two shot groups topping off every shot to 4000 psi with a booster as my tanks only had about 3000 in them and I couldn’t tether.
First I shot the air gun design 380’s (BTW all at 100yds), two at 4000 without topping off. First was 811 fps, second at 721 fps and dropped about 8″. This sucked, so I started topping off after every shot but didn’t shoot any more of these. I then tried the bullet design I had been using that had been too small. It also didn’t group very well but ok. Then the nose riding bullet which the nose section was about 0.446″. The first two were touching. I shot two more, and one had about 1/8″ of paper between it and the first two. The fourth shot just above it about 1/2″. The total group of four was stringing vertically probably due to me using a bipod. Every shot was at 4000 psi and avg velocity was 780 fps, this bullet also weighing 380 grns.
Next I will try this bullet at 4500 psi and off sand bags. 😀
JD
JD
You may be surprised at how the WW boolits do…….keep us posted!
Tofazfou,
Well, my brother advised me he had some 0.0458″ bullets I had cast for him a few years back. I picked them up and found that they were cast from a Lee mould and weighed 340 grs cast of WW. These were air cooled but I haven’t checked the hardness.
I run these through my Lee sizer that I had opened up and the come out at 0.4538″ and would go into the throat but really tight. A second run through through the die and they fit perfect.
I’m not planning on shooting WW but while waiting on my mould I’m going to try these just to see what happens.
JD
Tofazfou,
I try not to relate too much to powder burners as I know air rifles are another breed all together but this bullet jumping shit (over 1/2″) bothers me. The measurements I posted were taken with a starrett digital mike but I feel that Roachcreek’s rifle must be very close to mine in reference to bore size. Roachcreek tried seating against the lands due to this bullet jump but couldn’t detect much difference in accuracy.
Back to PB thinking 🙄 I was hoping if my throat was straight with the axis of the bore, and hopefully the same diameter of the barrel groove that if I sized to the throat as not to have resistance but just a smooth fit it might aid in this damned bullet jump. The jury is still out on this though. Luckily my throat diameter is around 0.0005 larger than groove diameter. Oh well, we will see.
I’ve even been looking at altering some existing bullet designs to extend the front driving band closer to the lands but doing so would mean using a long bullet and maybe a weight closer to 400-425 grn which is pretty heavy, not to mention the 22 pitch barrel might not stabilize a bullet this long at these velocities.
Hell, my real problem is I just think too damned much 🙄
Tofazfou,
Nope, my mold drops the bullets at 454, my barrel is 453 and my sizer sizes them to .4535, of course guessing on that last number but they are just over groove diameter.
I was having bullets stick in my rifle and not chamber because I ws shooting them unsized. Then I started sizing them and things went to shit fast. I ended up opening up my sizer with 600 grin on a bronze brush chucked in a drill, that sizer just barely kisses them now.
I just bought a 4 cavity Saeco mold off ebay that is a 454 45 LC 255 grain bullet for lighter loads.
RC
Man, you’ve attained some very needed and important info. 454 cal should have a nice variety of bullets.
OMG, GUESS WHAT RC, with the new info your have on your groove diameter, you can buy a 454 sizer and some 457 BULLET MOLDS. RIGHT!? OR AM I WRONG ON THAT?!
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Well…been a learning experience.
DON’T USE BORE TECH’S BORE BLEND SOLVENT!
It will attack and soften o-rings, melt and blister your stock finish and who knows what else. I was using it very carefully I thought to clean my Ranger barrel and it got to and softened my transfer port o-ring and caused it to blow out after about 500 shots or so. I tested this stuff on my stock and it attacked it on contact. I was also using FP-10 to lube bullets and as it was also suspect I contacted Shooter’s Choice and was advised it would would soften Buna-n rings overtime. They also advised FP-10 would not attack Viton o-rings so I have ordered Viton replacements as I plan to continue using FP-10 as its my favorite bullet lube with this rifle.
I have now replaced my bolt, transfer port and reservoir o-rings and all is well after 150 or so shots.
Good news…this gun will stick’um! It loves hard bullets and will give me consistent 2MOA and better most of the time and apparently also at 283 yds. I have shot bullets from 250-380 grs and alloys from 40:1 to Lyman #2. I’m currently casting a Accurate Mold 44-360M @ 0.454 with Lyman #2 alloy sized to 0.4535″ @ 370grs. This is a bore riding design with a nose diameter of 0.447″. BC= .24 measured over two Ohler chronographs. Velocity @ 820 with 28″ barrel @ 4300 psi fill.
On a recent outing I shot 3 at 283 yds using a 8″ target with my scope on 3X as I needed this pwr so I could use my bottom mil dot. My second shot was lost due putting scope on 9 X and forgetting to put it back on before firing. Third shot within 2″ of the first. I don’t know if this is a fluke or not..more to come. I know one thing..there is around 4″ of right rotation drift at this distance with these large slow bullets that has to br taken into account for windage along with wind. 😆
JD